Blockchain mine at oil or gas facility

Abstract

Methods and systems of operating a blockchain mining device using natural gas produced at a hydrocarbon production, storage, or processing site/facility. A generator may be retrofitted to an existing prime mover used to pump the well, and the generator may be used to power the blockchain mining device. Portable mining devices may be hooked up to a casinghead gas supply at a remote, isolated oil facility. Power loading levels may be modulated by adjusting mining transaction levels to correspond with combustible gas production levels.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 a source of combustible gas produced from a facility selected from a group consisting of a hydrocarbon production, storage, or processing facility; 
 a generator connected to the source of combustible gas to receive a continuous flow of combustible gas to power the generator; and 
 blockchain mining devices connected to the generator; 
 in which:
 the blockchain mining devices each have a mining processor and are connected to a network interface; 
 the network interface is connected to receive and transmit data through the internet to a network that stores or has access to a blockchain database; 
 the mining processors are connected to the network interface and adapted to mine transactions associated with the blockchain database and to communicate with the blockchain database; 
 the network is a peer-to-peer network; 
 the blockchain database is a distributed database stored on plural nodes in the peer-to-peer network; and 
 
 the blockchain database stores transactional information for a digital currency. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  isolated from a sales gas line and an external electrical power grid. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1  in which:
 the source of combustible gas and the facility comprise a remote well selected from a group consisting of a remote oil or gas well; and 
 the remote well is connected to produce the continuous flow of combustible gas to power the generator. 
 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3  further comprising a combustion engine connected to the source of combustible gas and connected to drive the generator. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4  in which the combustion engine is a prime mover that is connected to produce oil from the remote well. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 4  in which the combustion engine is a first combustion engine, and further comprising a second combustion engine that is a prime mover that is connected to produce oil from the remote well. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1  in which:
 the facility comprises a unit selected from a group consisting of an oil storage or processing unit; 
 the source of combustible gas comprises the unit, which has a gas outlet connected to supply combustible gas to operate the generator; and 
 the unit is connected to receive oil produced from a remote oil well. 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1  in which the generator and blockchain mining devices are located adjacent to the facility. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1  in which the facility comprises a plurality of remote wells selected from a group consisting of remote oil or gas wells, and one or both of the following conditions are satisfied:
 the plurality of remote wells are located on a multi-well pad; or 
 the plurality of remote wells include a satellite well. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1  in which the system is configured to modulate a power load level exerted by the blockchain mining devices on the generator, by increasing or decreasing the mining activity of the mining processor. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10  in which
 the system is configured to modulate the power load level by selecting one or more actions from a group of actions consisting of increasing or decreasing a maximum number of mining processors that are engaged in mining transactions. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 10  in which the system is configured to modulate the power load level in response to variations in a production rate of combustible gas from the hydrocarbon production well, storage, or processing facility. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 10  in which:
 a production rate of combustible gas from the hydrocarbon production well, storage, or processing facility varies between a daily minimum production rate and a daily maximum production rate; and 
 while the production rate is above the daily minimum production rate, the controller is set to limit the power load level to at or below a power level producible by the generator when the production rate is at the daily minimum production rate. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13  in which the controller is set to divert to a load bank excess electricity produced by the generator. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 10  in which:
 a production rate of combustible gas from the hydrocarbon production well, storage, or processing facility varies between a daily minimum production rate and a daily maximum production rate; 
 the controller is set to limit the power load level to above a power level producible by the generator when the production rate is at the daily minimum production rate; and 
 a backup source, selected from a group consisting of fuel or electricity, is connected make up a shortfall in fuel or electricity, respectively, required to supply the blockchain mining devices with the power load level. 
 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 1  in which a controller is connected to operate a cooling system to maintain the blockchain mining devices within a predetermined operating range of temperature. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 1  in which the blockchain mining devices are housed in a portable enclosure that is structured to one or more of form a skid or be mounted on a trailer. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17  in which the portable enclosure comprises a generator driven by an engine, which is connected to the source of combustible gas. 
     
     
       19. The system of any  claim 18  in which the engine comprises a turbine. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 17  in which the portable enclosure comprises an intermodal transport container. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 17  in which the portable enclosure has the form of a box with walls, a top, and a base, with one or more access doors formed in the walls. 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 1  further comprising a combustible gas disposal device, at the facility, the combustible gas disposal device being connected to receive combustible gas from the source of combustible gas. 
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 22  further comprising a valve connected upstream of the generator to receive the continuous flow of gas from the source of combustible gas, and selectively supply the continuous flow of gas to the generator, the combustible gas disposal device, or both the generator and the combustible gas disposal device, to selectively divert the continuous flow of gas to the combustible gas disposal device, the generator, or both the generator and the combustible gas disposal device, respectively. 
     
     
       24. A method comprising:
 producing electricity using a generator and a source of combustible gas produced at a facility selected from the group consisting of a hydrocarbon production well, storage, or processing facility, and operating blockchain mining devices located at the facility, respectively, using the electricity, in which:
 the generator is connected to the source of combustible gas, in which the facility is connected to produce a continuous flow of combustible gas to power the generator; 
 the blockchain mining devices each have a mining processor and are connected to a network interface; 
 the network interface is connected to receive and transmit data through the internet to a network that stores or has access to a blockchain database; 
 the mining processors are connected to the network interface and adapted to mine transactions associated with the blockchain database and to communicate with the blockchain database; 
 the network is a peer-to-peer network; 
 the blockchain database is a distributed database stored on plural nodes in the peer-to-peer network; and 
 the blockchain database stores transactional information for a digital currency. 
 
 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 24  further comprising, prior to using the source of combustible gas:
 one or both disconnecting or diverting the source of combustible gas from a combustible gas disposal device at the facility; and 
 connecting the source of combustible gas to operate the blockchain mining devices. 
 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 25  in which the combustible gas disposal device comprises one or more of a flare, a vent to the atmosphere, an incinerator, or a burner. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 24  further comprising:
 connecting the source of combustible gas to operate the blockchain mining devices; and 
 diverting gas from a combustible gas disposal device to operate the blockchain mining devices. 
 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 24  in which the facility is selected from a group consisting of an oil or gas well that is isolated from a sales gas line and an external electrical power grid. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 24  in which the source of combustible gas is a remote well selected from a group consisting of a remote oil or gas well. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 24  in which producing further comprises supplying combustible gas to a combustion engine that is connected to drive the generator. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 24 , in which producing further comprises supplying combustible gas to a combustion engine that is connected to drive the generator, and further comprising using the combustion engine as a prime mover to produce oil from the hydrocarbon production well, storage, or processing facility. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 31  in which, prior to using the source of combustible gas, the combustion engine is under loaded as the prime mover, and further comprising connecting the generator to a power takeoff connected to the combustion engine. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 30  in which the combustion engine is a first combustion engine, the remote well is a remote oil well, and further comprising:
 prior to supplying combustible gas to the first combustion engine, connecting the first combustion engine to receive combustible gas from the remote oil well; and 
 using a second combustion engine as a prime mover to produce oil from the remote oil well. 
 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 29  further comprising operating the blockchain mining devices to:
 mine transactions with the blockchain mining devices; and 
 communicate wirelessly through the internet to communicate with a blockchain database. 
 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 34  further comprising modulating a power load level exerted by the blockchain mining devices on the generator, by selecting an action from a group of actions consisting of increasing or decreasing, a mining activity of the blockchain mining devices. 
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 35  in which:
 modulating comprises modulating the power load level by increasing or decreasing a maximum number of mining processors that are engaged in mining transactions. 
 
     
     
       37. The method of  claim 36  in which modulating comprises modulating the power load level in response to variations in a production rate of combustible gas from the hydrocarbon production well, storage, or processing facility. 
     
     
       38. The method of  claim 35  in which:
 a production rate of combustible gas from the hydrocarbon production well, storage, or processing facility varies between a daily minimum production rate and a daily maximum production rate; and 
 modulating comprises limiting, while the production rate is above the daily minimum production rate, the power load level to at or below a power level producible by the generator when the production rate is at the daily minimum production rate. 
 
     
     
       39. The method of  claim 38  further comprising diverting to a load bank excess electricity produced by the generator. 
     
     
       40. The method of  claim 35  in which:
 a production rate of combustible gas from the hydrocarbon production well, storage, or processing facility varies between a daily minimum production rate and a daily maximum production rate; 
 modulating comprises limiting the power load level to above a power level produced by the generator when the production rate is at the daily minimum production rate; and 
 supplying from a backup source, which is selected from a group consisting of a backup fuel or electricity source a shortfall in fuel or electricity, respectively, required to supply the blockchain mining devices with the power load level. 
 
     
     
       41. The method of  claim 40  in which the power load level is limited to above a power level produced by the generator when the production rate is at the daily maximum production rate.